Condensation control system and related method

ABSTRACT

A system and related method are disclosed for controlling condensation in a space. The system includes a fan and one or more sensors for sensing environmental conditions such as temperature and relative humidity associated with the space and/or objects within the space. For instance, the sensors may sense a surface temperature of an object within the room. The system also includes a controller capable of receiving measurements from the sensor(s) and controlling the fan based on the sensed information. The system may additionally include a heater and/or a damper for transferring outside air into the space, either of which may be controlled by the controller based on the measurements.

This application is a continuation of U.S. Utility application Ser. No.16/113,588, filed on Aug. 27, 2018, which is a continuation of U.S.Utility application Ser. No. 14/215,538, filed on Mar. 17, 2014, whichclaims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/786,878,filed on Mar. 15, 2013, the disclosures of which are incorporated hereinby reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This disclosure relates generally to a circulation device such as a fanand more particularly to a fan for controlling condensation.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A variety of fan systems have been made and used over the years in avariety of contexts. For instance, various ceiling fans are disclosed inU.S. Pat. No. 7,284,960, entitled “Fan Blades,” issued Oct. 23, 2007;U.S. Pat. No. 6,244,821, entitled “Low Speed Cooling Fan,” issued Jun.12, 2001; U.S. Pat. No. 6,939,108, entitled “Cooling Fan with ReinforcedBlade,” issued Sep. 6, 2005; and U.S. Pat. No. D607,988, entitled“Ceiling Fan,” issued Jan. 12, 2010. The disclosures of each of thoseU.S. patents are incorporated by reference herein. Additional exemplaryfans are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Pub. No. 2008/0008596, entitled “FanBlades,” published Jan. 10, 2008; U.S. Pat. Pub. No. 2009/0208333,entitled “Ceiling Fan System with Brushless Motor,” published Aug. 20,2009; and U.S. Pat. Pub. No. 2010/0278637, entitled “Ceiling Fan withVariable Blade Pitch and Variable Speed Control,” published Nov. 4,2010, the disclosures of which are also incorporated by referenceherein. It should be understood that teachings herein may beincorporated into any of the fans described in any of theabove-referenced patents, publications, or patent applications. Itshould also be understood that a fan may include sensors or otherfeatures that are used to control, at least in part, operation of a fansystem. For instance, such fan systems are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Pub.No. 2009/0097975, entitled “Ceiling Fan with Concentric Stationary Tubeand Power-Down Features,” published Apr. 16, 2009, the disclosure ofwhich is incorporated by reference herein; U.S. Pat. Pub. No.2009/0162197, entitled “Automatic Control System and Method to MinimizeOscillation in Ceiling Fans,” published Jun. 25, 2009, the disclosure ofwhich is incorporated by reference herein; U.S. Pat. Pub. No.2010/0291858, entitled “Automatic Control System for Ceiling Fan Basedon Temperature Differentials,” published Nov. 18, 2010, the disclosureof which is incorporated by reference herein; and U.S. ProvisionalPatent App. No. 61/165,582, entitled “Fan with Impact Avoidance SystemUsing Infrared,” filed Apr. 1, 2009, the disclosure of which isincorporated by reference herein. Alternatively, any other suitablecontrol systems/features may be used in conjunction with embodimentsdescribed herein.

Condensation will form on any object when the temperature of the objectis at or below the dew point temperature of the air surrounding theobject. This condensation can lead to many problems, such as dampness,surface degradation, mold growth, wood rot, corrosion or rust, or thelike, any of which may require costly remediation. The occurrence ofcondensation is especially prevalent in areas that are not subject tobeing conditioned using typical HVAC systems, such as large industrialspaces, warehouses, or the like, as well as in areas with considerableamounts of ambient moisture (e.g., food processing, natatoriums, etc.)or that require high relative humidity (e.g., wine aging).

Accordingly, a need is identified for a manner of controlling thecirculation of air in a space to help prevent the formation ofcondensation on one or more surfaces in the space. The system mayevaluate the surface temperature of an object in the space and, based onthe temperature of the surrounding air (which may be the dry bulbtemperature, the dew point temperature, or trends for either), controlthe operation of a circulation device, such as a fan. Optional heatingof the air could also be provided, as could the introduction of outdoorair in an effort to prevent condensation from forming.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to one aspect of the disclosure, a system for controlling thecirculation of air in an indoor area of a structure is provided. Thesystem comprises a fan for circulating the air within the indoor area, afirst sensor for sensing a temperature of a surface in the indoor area,and a controller for controlling operation of the fan when at least oneof the following conditions is met: (a) a temperature of the air isgreater than the surface temperature and the temperature of the air istrending upward; (b) the air temperature is warmer than the surfacetemperature; or (c) the surface temperature is equal to or less than adew point temperature of the air, and (i) the dew point temperature istrending upward; or (ii) the surface temperature is trending downward.

In one embodiment, the fan is adapted for mounting on or adjacent aceiling of the indoor area, and includes a plurality of exposed bladesfor directing air onto the surface. The controller may control the speedand/or time of operation of the fan. A second sensor may be provided forsensing the relative humidity of the air in the area and a third sensorfor sensing the temperature of the air in the indoor area, and whereinthe controller is adapted for determining the dew point temperaturebased on the relative humidity and the air temperature.

The system may further include a heater for heating the air in thespace, the heater being controlled by the controller. The heater may beturned on when either the surface temperature is less than or equal tothe dew point temperature of the indoor air and the dew pointtemperature of the indoor air is trending upwardly, or the surfacetemperature is less than or equal to the dew point temperature of theindoor air. The heater may be selected from the group consisting of aradiant heater, a forced air heater, or a combination thereof.

The system may further include a damper for admitting outdoor air intothe space when the outdoor humidity ratio is less than or equal to theindoor humidity ratio. Opening and closing of the damper may becontrolled by the controller. The system may also include a secondsensor for sensing one or more of an outdoor air temperature and anoutdoor humidity and communicating the sensed outdoor air temperatureand humidity to the controller.

The controller may operate to turn the fan on when the air temperatureis warmer than the surface temperature. The controller may alternativelyturns the fan on when the air temperature is warmer than the surfacetemperature and the air temperature is trending upward. The controllermay turn the fan on when the surface temperature is equal to or lessthan a dew point temperature of the air, and: (i) the dew pointtemperature is trending upward; or (ii) the surface temperature istrending downward.

This disclosure also pertains to a method of preventing the formation ofcondensation on a surface in an indoor area. The method comprisessensing a temperature of the surface, and using a fan, circulating airin the indoor area based on the sensed surface temperature when at leastone of the following conditions is met: (a) the air temperature isgreater than the surface temperature and a temperature of the air istrending upward, the fan turns on; (b) the air temperature is greaterthan the surface temperature; or (c) the surface temperature is equal toor less than a dew point temperature of the air, and (i) the dew pointtemperature is trending upward; or (ii) the surface temperature istrending downward.

The method may comprise the step of circulating the air comprisesactivating a ceiling fan in the indoor area. The step of circulating theair may comprise opening a damper to admit outdoor air to the indoorarea. The step of circulating air may occur once the air temperature iswarmer than the surface temperature and the air temperature is trendingupward, or simply once the air temperature is greater than the surfacetemperature. The circulating step may occur once the surface temperatureis equal to or less than a dew point temperature of the air, and (i) thedew point temperature is trending up; or (ii) the surface temperature istrending downward.

A further aspect of this disclosure pertains to a system for controllingthe circulation of air in an indoor area of a structure having walls, afloor, and a ceiling. The system comprises a fan for directing airtoward an object above the floor in the indoor area, and a first sensorfor sensing a temperature of a surface of the object. The system furtherincludes a controller for controlling the fan when at least one of thefollowing conditions is met: (a) a temperature of the air is greaterthan the surface temperature and the temperature of the air is trendingupward; (b) the air temperature is warmer than the surface temperature;or (c) the surface temperature is equal to or less than a dew pointtemperature of the air, and (i) the dew point temperature is trendingupward; or (ii) the surface temperature is trending downward.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a fan utilized in the system of thepresent invention; and

FIG. 2 is a schematic of the condensation control system of the presentinvention including the fan of FIG. 1 .

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The following description of certain examples of the invention shouldnot be used to limit the scope of the present invention. Other examples,features, aspects, embodiments, and advantages of the invention willbecome apparent to those skilled in the art from the followingdescription, which includes by way of illustration, one or more of thebest modes contemplated for carrying out the invention. As will berealized, the invention is capable of other different and obviousaspects, all without departing from the invention. Accordingly, thedrawings and descriptions should be regarded as illustrative in natureand not restrictive.

Referring to FIG. 1 , a fan (110) of the present example comprises amotor assembly (112), a support (114), a hub assembly (116), and aplurality of fan blades (118). In the present example, fan (110)(including hub assembly (116) and fan blades (118)) has a diameter ofapproximately 8 feet. In other variations, fan (110) has a diameterbetween approximately 2 feet, inclusive, and approximately 24 feet,inclusive. Alternatively, fan (110) may have any other suitabledimensions.

Support (114) is configured to be coupled to a surface or other stablesupport structure (such as a joist, beam, or the like) at a first endsuch that fan (110) is substantially attached to the surface or otherstructure. As shown in FIG. 1 , one such example of a structure may be aceiling joist (J). Support (114) of the present example comprises anelongate metal tube-like structure that couples fan (110) to a ceiling,though it should be understood that support (114) may be constructedand/or configured in a variety of other suitable ways as will beapparent to one of ordinary skill in the art in view of the teachingsherein. By way of example only, support (114) need not be coupled to aceiling or other overhead structure, and instead may be coupled to awall or to the ground. For instance, support (114) may be positioned onthe top of a post that extends upwardly from the ground. Alternatively,support (114) may be mounted in any other suitable fashion at any othersuitable location. This includes, but is not limited to, the teachingsof the patents, patent publications, or patent applications citedherein. By way of example only, support (114) may be configured inaccordance with the teachings of U.S. Pat. Pub. No. 2009/0072108,entitled “Ceiling Fan with Angled Mounting,” published Mar. 19, 2009,the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein. As yetanother alternative, support (114) may have any other suitableconfiguration. Furthermore, support (116) may be supplemented innumerous ways. One merely illustrative example is described in detailbelow, while other examples and variations will be apparent to those ofordinary skill in the art in view of the teachings herein.

Motor assembly (112) of the present example comprises an AC inductionmotor having a drive shaft, though it should be understood that motorassembly (112) may alternatively comprise any other suitable type ofmotor (e.g., a permanent magnet brushless DC motor, a brushed motor, aninside-out motor, etc.). In the present example, motor assembly (112) isfixedly coupled to support (114) and rotatably coupled to hub assembly(100). Furthermore, motor assembly (112) is operable to rotate hubassembly (116) and the plurality of fan blades (118). By way of exampleonly, motor assembly (112) may be constructed in accordance with atleast some of the teachings of U.S. Pat. Pub. No. 2009/0208333, entitled“Ceiling Fan System with Brushless Motor,” published Aug. 20, 2009, thedisclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein. Furthermore,fan (110) may include control electronics that are configured inaccordance with at least some of the teachings of U.S. Pat. Pub. No.2010/0278637, entitled “Ceiling Fan with Variable Blade Pitch andVariable Speed Control,” published Nov. 4, 2010, the disclosure of whichis incorporated by reference herein. Alternatively, motor assembly (112)may have any other suitable components, configurations, functionalities,and operability, as will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in theart in view of the teachings herein.

Hub assembly (116) may be constructed in accordance with at least someof the teachings of U.S. Pat. Pub. No. 2010/0278637, entitled “CeilingFan with Variable Blade Pitch and Variable Speed Control,” publishedNov. 4, 2010, the disclosure of which is incorporated by referenceherein. Alternatively, hub assembly (116) may be constructed inaccordance with any of the teachings or other patent references citedherein. Still other suitable ways in which hub assembly (116) may beconstructed will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art inview of the teachings herein. It should also be understood that aninterface component (not shown) may be provided at the interface of eachfan blade (118) and hub assembly (116). By way of example only, such aninterface component may be configured in accordance with the teachingsof U.S. Pat. Pub. No. 2009/0081045, entitled “Aerodynamic InterfaceComponent for Fan Blade,” published Mar. 26, 2009, the disclosure ofwhich is incorporated by reference herein. Of course, such an interfacecomponent may be omitted if desired.

Fan blades (118) may further be constructed in accordance with some orall of the teachings of any of the patents, patent publications, orpatent applications cited herein. For example, fan blades (118) may beconfigured in accordance with the teachings of U.S. Pat. No. 7,284,960,entitled “Fan Blades,” issued Oct. 23, 2007; U.S. Pat. No. 6,244,821,entitled “Low Speed Cooling Fan,” issued Jun. 12, 2001; and/or U.S. Pat.No. 6,939,108, entitled “Cooling Fan with Reinforced Blade,” issued Sep.6, 2005. The disclosures of each of those U.S. patents are incorporatedby reference herein. As another merely illustrative example, fan blades(118) may be configured in accordance with the teachings of U.S. Pat.Pub. No. 2008/0008596, entitled “Fan Blades,” published Jan. 10, 2008,the disclosure of which is also incorporated by reference herein. As yetanother merely illustrative example, fan blades (118) may be configuredin accordance with the teachings of U.S. Pat. Pub. No. 2010/0104461,entitled “Multi-Part Modular Airfoil Section and Method of AttachmentBetween Parts,” published Apr. 29, 2010, the disclosure of which isincorporated by reference herein. Alternatively, any other suitableconfigurations for fan blades (118) may be used in conjunction with theexamples described herein. In the present example, fan blades (118) areformed of aluminum through an extrusion process such that each fan bladehas a substantially uniform cross section along its length. It should beunderstood that fan blades (118) may alternatively be formed using anysuitable material, or combination of materials, by using any suitabletechnique, or combination of techniques, and may have any suitablecross-sectional properties or other properties as will be apparent toone of ordinary skill in the art in view of the teachings herein.

Fan blades (118) of the present example may further include a variety ofmodifications. By way of example only, fan blade (118) of the presentexample further comprises a winglet (120) coupled to the second end(122) of fan blade (118). Winglets (120) may be constructed inaccordance with some or all of the teachings of any of the patents,patent publications, or patent applications cited herein. For instance,winglets (120) may be configured in accordance with at least some of theteachings of U.S. Pat. No. 7,252,478, entitled “Fan BladeModifications,” issued Aug. 7, 2007, the disclosure of which isincorporated by reference herein. As another merely illustrativeexample, winglets (120) may be configured in accordance with theteachings of U.S. Pat. Pub. No. 2008/0014090, entitled “Cuffed Fan BladeModifications,” published Jan. 17, 2008, the disclosure of which isincorporated by reference herein. As yet another merely illustrativeexample, winglets (120) may be configured in accordance with theteachings of U.S. Pat. No. D587,799, entitled “Winglet for a Fan Blade,”issued Mar. 3, 2009, the disclosure of which is incorporated byreference herein. Of course, any other suitable configuration forwinglets (120) may be used as will be apparent to those of ordinaryskill in the art in light of the teachings herein.

It should also be understood that winglet (120) is merely optional. Forinstance, other alternative modifications for fan blades (118) mayinclude end caps, angled airfoil extensions, integrally formed closedends, or substantially open ends. By way of example only, an angledextension may be added to the free end of each fan blade (118) inaccordance with the teachings of U.S. Pat. Pub. No. 2008/0213097,entitled “Angled Airfoil Extension for Fan Blade,” published Sep. 4,2008, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein. Othersuitable structures that may be associated with second end (122) of eachfan blade (118) will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the artin view of the teachings herein.

Turning now to FIG. 2 , it may be desirable to utilize exemplary fan(110) disclosed above in connection with a control system (100) thatregulates the operation of the fan based at least on the detection ofone or more parameters, including but not limited to surfacetemperature. By way of example only, the arrangement may further includeat least one exemplary fan (110), at least one sensor (130) and acontroller (160) for communicating with the sensor (130). In a firstembodiment, the sensor (130) comprises a first sensor (130 a) forsensing the temperature of a surface within a space (S), such as anindoor space (e.g., a room or like enclosed or substantially enclosedarea), in which the fan (110) is located. For instance, the surface maybe the surface of an object (O) positioned within the space, thetemperature of which is subject to being controlled by the fan (110).For example, the object (O) may comprise a piece of material (such assteel, concrete, etc.) or a fixture within the room (such as a machine,racking, ductwork, or the like). The particular shape, form, or materialfor the object (O) is not considered critical, and may include anyobject having a surface susceptible to the formation of condensation.

The sensor (130) may also comprise a second sensor (130 b) for sensingthe air temperature and, in particular, the air dry-bulb temperature(ADBT), which is the temperature of the air measured by a thermometerfreely exposed to the air but shielded from radiation and moisture. Inaddition, the sensor (130) may include a relatively humidity sensor (130c). The individual sensors (130 a, 130 b, 130 c) may form part of thesame structure, or may be provided independent of each other. In oneaspect, the sensors (130 a, 130 b, 130 c) may be in relatively closeproximity to each other so that the measurements are homogenous. Inanother aspect, one or more sensors (130 a, 130 b, 130 c) may be locatedat a remote location. For example, the first sensor (130 a) for sensingthe temperature of the surface may be remote from the surface, such asattached to or adjacent the fan, the controller, or any other part ofthe system or room. The sensor may be in the form of an infrared sensor

The controller (160) may be adapted for using input from one or more ofthe sensors (130 a, 130 b, 130 c) in order to determine the dew pointtemperature of the air in the indoor space (S). This may be done usingthe following formula:

$\begin{matrix}{T_{d} = {{T\lbrack {1 - \frac{{T\ln}( \frac{RH}{100} )}{L/R_{w}}} \rbrack}^{- 1}.}} & (1)\end{matrix}$Where:

-   -   T_(d) is the dew point temperature,    -   RH is the relative humidity,    -   T is the temperature in Kelvin (T=t_(air)+273.15),    -   Rw is the gas constant for water vapor (461.5 J/K kg), and    -   L is the enthalpy of vaporization (which varies between        L=2.501×10{circumflex over ( )}6 J/kg at T=273.15 K and        L=2.257×10{circumflex over ( )}6 J/kg at T=373.15 K, but one        exemplary value found useful is 2.472×10{circumflex over ( )}6        J/kg).        However, any other manner of assessing the dew point temperature        may be used, and the disclosure is thus not limited to this        particular approach.

The controller (160) may also make determinations regarding the indoorair dew point temperature (ADPTI), the indoor air dry bulb temperature(ADB1), and the surface temperature (STS1), as measured by the sensors130 a, 130 b, 130 c) over time. Using this data, the controller (160)may determine a trend using any known statistical technique, includingfor example linear interpolation and determining whether the derivativeis positive or negative. Based on one or more of these trends, thecontroller (160) may control the operation of the fan (110) in an effortto prevent condensation from forming on the object (O). For example, thecontroller (160) may turn the fan on for a predetermined time when:

-   -   (1) ADB1>STS1+K1 and ADB1 is trending upward;    -   (2) ADB1>STS1+K2; or    -   (3) STS1<ADPTI+K3 and ADPTI trending upward or STS1 trending        downward.        K1, K2, and K3 are constants that may be determined based on        observations or empirical data. In one example, K1=3 degrees F.,        K2=7 degrees F., and K3=2 degrees F., but these may of course        vary. The temperature comparisons are also made using        temperatures of the same units of measure.

The controller (160) may also determine the run time of the fan (110)following one or more of the conditions being met. The timing may bepredetermined, and may proceed for a minimum amount of time (e.g., 15minutes) or a prolonged time (e.g., 6 hours) to ensure that condensationis controlled (either by avoidance or by increasing the evaporation rateof the moisture from the surface in the event that condensation hasoccurred). The fan (110) may be automatically turned off following thepredetermined time, and may remain off until a triggering event occurs.

In accordance with a second aspect of this disclosure, the controlsystem (100) may also be adapted to provide a further measure of controlthrough heating of the indoor air. This heating may be provided by oneor more heaters (180), which may comprise a radiant heater, forced airfan or the like. The heater (180) may also communicate with and beregulated by the controller (160) to assist in preventing condensationfrom forming on a surface of the object (O) or objects.

In one embodiment, the controller (160) may be associated with anoutdoor sensor (170) for sensing one or more conditions of the outdoorair. For instance, the outdoor sensor (170) may include a first sensor(170 a) for sensing the outdoor temperature and, in particular, the drybulb temperature of the outdoor air. A second sensor (170 b) may also beprovided for sensing the relative humidity of the outdoor air. Again,the sensors (170 a, 170 b) may be combined together in a single unit,may be in close proximity to each other, or may be separated.

Using the output from the outdoor sensor (170), the controller (160) mayfurther make determinations regarding the outdoor air dew pointtemperature (ADPTO), the outdoor air dry bulb temperature (ADB2), andthe relative humidity (ARHO), as measured by the sensors (170 a, 170 b)over time. Using this data, the controller (160) may determine a trendusing any known statistical technique, including for example linearinterpolation. Based on one or more of these trends, the controller(160) may control the operation of the heater (110) in an effort toprevent condensation from forming on the object (O). For example, thecontroller (160) may turn the heater (110) on for a predetermined timewhen:

-   -   (1) STS1<ADPTI+K4 and ADPTI is trending upward;    -   (2) STS1<ADPTI+K5        K4 and K5 are constants that may be determined based on        observations or empirical data. In one example, K4=10 degrees F.        and K5=5 degrees F., but these may of course vary.

The controller (160) may also determine the run time of the heater (180)following one or more of the conditions being met. The timing may bepredetermined, and may proceed for a minimum amount of time (e.g., 6hours). The heater (180) may be automatically turned off following thepredetermined time, and may remain off until a triggering event. Theheater (180) may also be turned off when it is determined that thesurface temperature (e.g., STS1) is greater than the dew pointtemperature of the indoor air (ADPTI) by a predetermined amount (e.g. 12degrees F.), or if the indoor air dew point temperature is trendingdownwardly for a period of time following the initiating of heating.

The controller (160) may also be adapted to calculate indoor and outdoorhumidity ratios, such as using ADB1, ARH1 and ADB2, ARH2. Based on thedeterminations made, the decision can be made to admit outdoor air tothe space (S), such as via a blower (182) associated with the heater(180) an effort to control the humidity and thus foreclose condensation.For example, the space (S) may be equipped with a damper (190)controlled by controller (160) to open and close. This damper (190) isshown as being external to the heater (180), but may form part of it aswell. When the outdoor relative humidity ratio, AHRO, is less than orequal to the indoor humidity ratio, ARHI, the damper (190) may beopened. When the indoor humidity ratio, ARHI, is greater than theoutdoor humidity ratio, ARHO, the damper (190) may be closed.

It is also possible to monitor the outdoor air dew point temperature todetermine when it may be advantageous to admit outdoor air without usingthe heater. For example, higher dry bulb temperature (ADB2) and lowerdew point temperature (ADPTO) for outdoor air could trigger the system(100) to admit outdoor air via damper (190), which would result in lessenergy being consumed by the heater (180). The system (100) could alsoswitch over to admitting outdoor air if the dew point temperature(ADPTO) of the outdoor air is lower than the indoor dew pointtemperature (ADPTI), even if the outdoor air dry bulb temperature (ADB2)is lower.

While exemplary control system (100) is shown as including fan (110) asdescribed above, it should be understood that any other type of fan maybe included in exemplary thermal comfort control system (100), includingcombinations of different types of fans. Such other fans may includepedestal mounted fans, wall mounted fans, or building ventilation fans,among others. It should also be understood that the locations of sensor(130) as shown in FIG. 2 is merely exemplary. Sensor (130) may bepositioned at any other suitable locations, in addition to or in lieu ofthe locations shown in FIG. 2 . By way of example, the sensor (130) maybe mounted on or adjacent to a joist, to the fan (110), to a wall,and/or in any other suitable location(s). Various suitable locationswhere the sensors (130, 170) may be located will be apparent to those ofordinary skill in the art in view of the teachings herein. Multiplesensors (130) may also be provided, and the controller (160) may be usedto control multiple fans. Furthermore, it should be understood thatsensor(s) themselves are mere examples. Furthermore, various other kindsof sensors may be used as desired, in addition to or in lieu of one ormore of sensors (130, 170). Furthermore, system (100) may receiveinformation from one or more other sources, including but not limited toonline sources. For instance, system (100) may receive one or moretemperature values, other values, algorithms, firmware updates, softwareupdates, and/or other kinds of information through wire or wirelessly.Various suitable ways in which system (100) may communicate with theinternet and/or other networks, as well as various types of informationthat may be communicated, will be apparent to those of ordinary skill inthe art in view of the teachings herein. The system (100) may also beprovided with data storage capabilities that allow for the exporting orviewing monitored points for a historical time period (e.g., 5 days, 30days, etc.) depending on the frequency of data collection (e.g., 30seconds, 60 seconds, 15 minutes, etc.).

Having shown and described various embodiments, further adaptations ofthe methods and systems described herein may be accomplished byappropriate modifications by one of ordinary skill in the art withoutdeparting from the scope of the disclosure. Several of such potentialmodifications have been mentioned, and others will be apparent to thoseskilled in the art. For instance, the sensor may comprise a sensor forsensing the temperature of a part of the room (e.g., ceiling, floor,wall, etc.). Additionally, the system may be used for preventingcondensation on said part of the room. Furthermore, the examples,embodiments, geometries, materials, dimensions, ratios, steps, and thelike discussed above are illustrative and are not required. Accordingly,the scope of the disclosure should be considered in terms of claims thatmay be presented, and is understood not to be limited to the details ofstructure and operation shown and described in the specification anddrawings.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A system for controlling the circulation ofair in an indoor area of a structure, comprising: a fan for circulatingthe air within the indoor area; a first sensor for sensing a temperatureof a surface in the indoor area; and a controller for controllingoperation of the fan when at least one of the following conditions ismet: (a) a temperature of the air is greater than the surfacetemperature and the temperature of the air is trending upward; (b) theair temperature is warmer than the surface temperature; or (c) thesurface temperature is equal to or less than a dew point temperature ofthe air, and (i) the dew point temperature is trending upward; or (ii)the surface temperature is trending downward.
 2. The system of claim 1,wherein the fan is adapted for mounting on or adjacent a ceiling of theindoor area, and includes a plurality of exposed blades for directingair onto the surface.
 3. The system of claim 1, wherein the controllercontrols the speed and/or time of operation of the fan.
 4. The system ofclaim 1, further including a second sensor for sensing the relativehumidity of the air in the area and a third sensor for sensing thetemperature of the air in the indoor area, and wherein the controller isadapted for determining the dew point temperature based on the relativehumidity and the air temperature.
 5. The system of claim 1, furtherincluding a heater for heating the air in the space, the heater beingcontrolled by the controller.
 6. The system of claim 5, wherein theheater is turned on when: the surface temperature is less than or equalto the dew point temperature of the indoor air and the dew pointtemperature of the indoor air is trending upwardly; or the surfacetemperature is less than or equal to the dew point temperature of theindoor air.
 7. The system of claim 5, wherein the heater is selectedfrom the group consisting of a radiant heater, a forced air heater, or acombination thereof.
 8. The system of claim 1, further including adamper for admitting outdoor air into the space when the outdoorhumidity ratio is less than or equal to the indoor humidity ratio. 9.The system of claim 8, wherein opening and closing of the damper iscontrolled by the controller.
 10. The system of claim 1, furtherincluding a sensor for sensing one or more of an outdoor air temperatureor an outdoor humidity and communicating the sensed outdoor airtemperature and humidity to the controller.
 11. The system of claim 1,wherein the controller turns the fan on when the air temperature iswarmer than the surface temperature.
 12. The system of claim 1, whereinthe controller turns the fan on when the air temperature is warmer thanthe surface temperature and the air temperature is trending upward. 13.The system of claim 1, wherein the controller turns the fan on when thesurface temperature is equal to or less than a dew point temperature ofthe air, and: (i) the dew point temperature is trending upward; or (ii)the surface temperature is trending downward.
 14. A method of preventingthe formation of condensation on a surface in an indoor area,comprising: sensing a temperature of the surface; and using a fan,circulating air in the indoor area based on the sensed surfacetemperature when at least one of the following conditions is met: (a)the air temperature is greater than the surface temperature and atemperature of the air is trending upward, the fan turns on; (b) the airtemperature is greater than the surface temperature; or (c) the surfacetemperature is equal to or less than a dew point temperature of the air,and (i) the dew point temperature is trending upward; or (ii) thesurface temperature is trending downward.
 15. The method of claim 14,wherein the step of circulating the air comprises activating a ceilingfan in the indoor area.
 16. The method of claim 14, wherein the step ofcirculating the air comprises opening a damper to admit outdoor air tothe indoor area.
 17. The method of claim 14, wherein the circulatingstep occurs once the air temperature is warmer than the surfacetemperature and the air temperature is trending upward.
 18. The methodof claim 14, wherein the circulating step occurs once the airtemperature is greater than the surface temperature.
 19. The method ofclaim 14, wherein the circulating step occurs once the surfacetemperature is equal to or less than a dew point temperature of the air,and (i) the dew point temperature is trending up; or (ii) the surfacetemperature is trending downward.
 20. A system for controlling thecirculation of air in an indoor area of a structure having walls, afloor, and a ceiling, comprising: a fan for directing air toward anobject above the floor in the indoor area; a first sensor for sensing atemperature of a surface of the object; and a controller for controllingthe fan when at least one of the following conditions is met: (a) atemperature of the air is greater than the surface temperature and thetemperature of the air is trending upward; (b) the air temperature iswarmer than the surface temperature; or (c) the surface temperature isequal to or less than a dew point temperature of the air, and (i) thedew point temperature is trending upward; or (ii) the surfacetemperature is trending downward.